Farage calls Cameron a ‘piggy in the middle’ at party conference

We don’t know if Nigel Farage is losing his touch or if someone spiked the punch, but there seemed to be a fair few people using the Ukip conference as an opportunity to take a nice nap.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has met a supporter who has a TATTOO of his FACE on her arm. “EU” campaign group led by millionaire donor Aaron Banks.

Mr Farage told the Press Association: “The significance of what’s happening here today in Doncaster is all those little different, disparate groups, of whom it had been said they were all run by egomaniacs, all wanted to be big fish in small ponds, would never work together, today every single one of them is being represented on the platform”.

However, Mr Carswell is an enthusiastic support of the Business for Britain group, headed up TaxPayer’s Alliance founder Matthew Elliot – a group which may also bid for official recognition.

The Ukip conference kicks off on the same day the British Chambers of Commerce announced the business vote on whether the United Kingdom remains a member of the EUis still “up for grabs”.

Ukip’s only MP – and the only man to ever win a seat for the party at a General Election – was reflecting on a odd 24 hours.

UKIP polled almost a quarter of all votes cast in Doncaster North, the constituency of former Labour leader Ed Miliband.

“Ukip is committed to leaving the European Union, and we have always said that we would work with anybody who shared the same aim”.

Mr Banks confirmed the spat and claimed that Mr Carswell shouted, “You can’t deselect me”, before walking out of the room.

“One argument we did make was that open door immigration as a result of our membership of the European Union is a wholly, thoroughly irresponsible thing to do”, he said.

Mr Carswell stormed out of conference yesterday, claiming donor Arron Banks threatened to get him de-selected unless he backed the businessman’s new Leave European Union campaign group.

The partnership gives UKIP’s 4 million voters the green light to support the No campaign under the auspices of Leave.eu.

“People have chosen to brief against me and suggest I would be removed from Ukip unless I did what they said”.

He added: “Douglas may have a slight problem with him, Douglas may have this residual loyalty to his friends in the Conservative Party but frankly given that they haven’t made their minds up that isn’t very relevant”.

“Over the summer I had people contact me and say “we would like to offer a place in our family home for refugees”.

Advanced copies of Mr Carswell’s speech had been circulated to those at the top of the party prior to him taking to the stage, and more than one of them were concerned he may deviate from the script to reflect the row with Mr Banks and create more damaging headlines.

“[Nigel’s] right that we have to cooperate together, but it’s too early to get a formal structure in place”.

“UKIP will now stand hand in hand with Leave.EU”, Farage told the conference Friday.